


Stay

by orphan_account



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Adolescence is weird, I love Hugo, I love all of them, Kinda?, Life is hard, M/M, Nothing important but just in case, Spoilers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-23 05:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11983035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: If you would have arrived at the Bloodmarch home earlier that afternoon and told Lucien of the events that would take place later on that very same day, he'd raise an eyebrow and shut the door in your face, probably.





	1. Chapter 1

He's been sitting here for a while. The sun is setting, light filtering through the ally a warm shade of orange, so probably more than an hour. Ernest is naturally late all the time - although an hour is kind of pushing it -, it's not like he has anything better to do anyway. Doesn't mean he won't call the little bitch out for it. Lucien takes another bite off his snickers bar. He's sitting on the floor, one knee bent towards his chest, leaning against the wall of some anonymous building. Far enough from the cul-de-sac, not because hanging around the annoyingly familiar neighborhood is embarrassing, but because it's kind of sickening running into smiling neighbors and their kids every two steps.

No, being embarrassed is Ernest's department. Speaking of which, there's a shadow over him now, coming from his side. Ernest stands there, with his shoulders hunched and hands hidden in his sweatshirt as orange as the evening light, a color which shouldn't look good on anyone and yet suits Ernest somehow. He doesn't look mad. Or  happy. He's frowning, but his eyes are distant. So he had another fight with his dad then. They don't hang out together enough for Lucien to say he knows him, doesn't really know why they hang out together at all, but he's spent enough time with Ernest to tell that much at least.

Lucien looks back with a bored face and decides not to bitch at him for now. Ernest takes a seat beside him. For a few minutes, neither speaks.

"You've got more of those?" Ernest grumbles, side-eyeing the snickers bar.

"Nope." And he wouldn't give him any even if he did. Maybe.

The boy just grunts and kicks at the ground without real intent.

It's a quiet evening. They are in a side of town away from the residential zone, it's all cheap apartment buildings and rusty pipes. Not a place that would be considered dangerous, not at this time of the day, but it's got it's charm exactly in having no charm at all. A Lucien and Ernest kind of place. Some stereotypical rock guitar intro starts playing out of nowhere and Ernest swears, hands rushing to his trouser pockets frantically. He pulls out his phone and glares at the screen for no longer than a second before cutting the call and sinking it back where he put it. But that brief moment is enough for Lucien to steal a glance, making out Hugo's name as the caller. Ernest's hands are hidden in the orange fabric again, balled furiously, and he's biting his lip so hard he's trembling with some contained emotion.

Lucien rests his head against the wall and sighs. He doesn't want to ask. Ernest obviously doesn't want him to, either. Really, it's none of his business, he should just pay it no mind and pretend he doesn't notice. But this is getting annoying. Getting right into it is such a drag though,  it's not like he cares and he doesn't want Ernest growling at him like an angry dog for his esteemed kindness. He lets time stretch as long as he can before giving in, because he  will end up having to deal with it sooner or later, won't he? Seriously, what a pain.

He doesn't even know what to say in the first place. "The old man is on your ass again?"

Ernest scowls, looking away. "It has nothing to do with you."

And there it is. So much for being supportive and shit.

Lucien makes a face.  "Right. But if you're gonna be like that about it...-"

"I didn't say anything, did I!?" Ernest's head whips back to glower at him,  jaw clenched and eyes looking like they are on the verge of of crying in anger.

Okay. Fuck it. That's about as far as his patience goes. "God, you're such a petty kid..." He drawls, a hand over his eyes like he's getting a headache from Ernest's temper alone. Leave it to Lucien to be tactful with words. He said this wasn't his thing, didn't he?

"Shut up!" Ernest voice sounds mad, but weaker than before. "You don't even know what happened, why are you siding with him?"

"I'm not siding with anyone." Lucien answers, sounding as composed as possible. "All I'm saying is, at least you still have him. The both of them."

Ernest was about to yell again, but he pauses. A flash of something - realization? guilt? sympathy? - crosses his gaze, and he closes his mouth. The boy stays still for a few seconds, scowling at the ground, and then turns back to the front, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them.

"You know he tries for you, right?" His teacher isn't exactly the best at hiding his emotions, and neither is Ernest, as much as he tries to be. He knows he isn't a role model himself, his relationship with his parent is not the best but the way Ernest rejects his dad so much, having both parents in his life despite their complicated situation trying to impress him all the time, it's just something Lucien can't understand. Not that he goes around judging others. He's never even brought it up to Ernest until now. "Mr. Vega."

The hold around Ernest legs tightens. He half buries his face against them, and breathes shakily there. "I know." His voices comes out so weak, and there's an obvious knot in his throat now. "I know." He repeats again, and presses against his knees fully, muffling the first sob that escapes him.

Lucien stares at the hunched figure. Ernest is crying, as quietly as he can. He's never seen him like this. Then again, they aren't close, and he doubts Ernest cries in front of anyone if he can avoid doing so. He doesn't known if he did well, or if he fucked up but if the previous situation was awkward he has no idea how to handle this. Lucien's fingers twitch. What is he supposed to do? What would a normal person do? Dammit, why him? _If you were feeling so sensitive then you shouldn't have come, you idiot_. And then, before he has time to think it through, he's hugging Ernest.

... Wait, what? What the fuck was that for? Lucien grimaces. He's not the best with words, sure, but if he was going to go with contact then awkward back patting would have been the thing. Which he is aware would have been lame as hell, but a hug? Or he could have left. He probably should have left. "Uh..."

In his inner debate he doesn't realize Ernest has fallen silent abruptly as well, shoulders tensing.

A few seconds pass by, seconds that feel like hours and Lucien spends reconsidering his life choices, before Ernest raises his head slowly. Lucien's arms slack a little around him, to give him space, and even so when their eyes meet they are unbelievable close.

Ernest's face is blank, his lips parted just a bit, tears still streaming down his cheeks. Lucien knows his own face must be somewhere between shock and please kill me, no really, I'll give you money if you do.

Then Ernest's mouth breaks into a confused smile, brows knitted together. "...What?"

Lucien's eyes fall closed half way. To be completely honest, he has no idea what he's doing. He doesn't know why one of his hands is raising to Ernest's cheek, wiping the tears away, when normally that kind of cliche would make him roll his eyes hard. It's also the kind of thing that should make Ernest throw up, in different circumstances - or so does Lucien think. As it is, he's closed his mouth and is only staring at Lucien with wonder in his eyes.

So Lucien leans in, and kisses him.

Because of who fucking knows. Just a brush of lips against the other's, and he hears as well as feels Ernest breathe in sharply, at some point Lucien has forgotten to breathe at all. And just because nothing makes any sense today, Ernest kisses him back, shaking, and Lucien can feel the few pubescent hairs of Ernest's mustache touch his skin. It's surprisingly... Okay.

Lucien is not a feelsy idiot, he's surprised, sure, but there's no sudden 'this is what I have been wanting all my life' realization, no Cupid's arrow through his chest. He isn't about to start hyperventilating and lean back, tripping over his words and blushing like a little girl - and neither is Ernest, hah, comes to show he doesn't know him that well. He knows he should be freaking out much more than he is, but he finds out that he rather keep kissing Ernest instead. It's weird but it feels... Nice?... They move experimentally, savoring the feeling with caution, clueless on what to make of it. At some point their eyes have closed on their own.

It isn't like this between them, they aren't even friends. After years of seeing each other across the hallway when they were in different classes, so often being forced to stand out of the classroom for some deed or another, they got used to the other's lame face. And then, many days of detention together once they became classmates. They even planned to drive their teachers crazy a few times, and others they got in a fight for no other reason than they were problematic. There was a certain... Understanding between them. Eventually they started hanging out every once in a while, when Ernest wasn't in the mood to go out with his pals but he didn't want to stay inside with Hugo either, and Lucien didn't have it in him to say no. That was all.

No attraction. No fluttering feelings. No bullshit.

Ernest exhales heavily against him, warm air against Lucien's cheek, and they part mutually, almost with reluctance. When their eyes finally open they meet the same questions painted across eachother's face. _What now? So... Does that mean I like you or...?_ But those questions feel like too much at the moment. Maybe later, when they are both in their rooms, they can think it over. Right now, Ernest is too emotionally tired after the whole mess with his dad, and Lucien feels like he's been tired for years.

Lucien lets go of the other and presses his back against the wall again, closing his eyes tightly. Ernest gazes at the ground and lets his bent legs slide down until they are flat on the concrete. The sun is long gone. As difficult children as they both are, deep down they don't want to worry their parents too much. They should be going soon.

"... So..." Ernest mumbles, eyes fixed downwards, catching Lucien's attention who had crossed his arms behind his head. He clears his throat. "Thanks for the snickers."

Lucien blinks once. Slowly, a smirk lifts the corners of his lips. "I didn't use tongue, you virgin."

"Urggh...." Ernest growls in embarrassment and annoyance. "Fuck you, I was being smooth."

"No you weren't."

"Asshole."

 _I could use it next time, though_. Lucien gazes up at the few stars visible in between buildings. He doesn't say it out loud, mostly because he's not sure how much of it is teasing and how much does he really mean that. For now it's fine. He'll let time stretch as long as he can before trying to figure it out, because that is a pain too.

 


	2. Chapter 2

  
The cafeteria is loud and crowded as always. His friends around him swing between taking large bites off their sandwiches and engaging in messy conversation; then someone says something particularly stupid or genius and the rest bursts out laughing, even choke on their drinks which ends up in them spitting helplessly and the remaining ones laughing even harder. Gross. But fun. Ernest is eating his food at the end of the table, unusually silent.

"So you know, about this girl?" Chad, an afro-american teen, intervenes speaking with his mouth full. "She seemed to be so into me but then when we were making out she got all twitchy and started making faces? Man, that sucked."

"That's because your kissing is gross." Kate answers, leaning back in her chair and smiling in self-satisfaction. "It's all _aaagdhsgahs_." She sticks out her tongue and starts making disgusting noises. Her friends chuckle.

"What would you know?" The boy frowns.

"Yeah, Kate, _what would you know_?" A third teases, drawing an _oooooh_ ~ from the group.

Kate crosses her arms, glaring. "I've seen him"

"Bet ya've seen him a **lot** "

He gets elbowed for that. The guy always making funny remarks and wearing a green cap everywhere is Dylan, and he can be kind of a douche. But by the end of the day he's just an insecure fella. Chad is blushing and handling the situation much more poorly than Kate, so he needs reinforcements to restablish his dignity - and masculinity. He is the type to care a lot for that. "Y'all don't know what you're talking about. I'm a pro kisser, right Ernest?"

He offers his best _Help me out here pal_ face, but Ernest hasn't been listening to the conversation and only raises an eyebrow, looking up from his sandwich. "Hah?"

"No, no... You gotta leave Ernest out of this." Jonathan grins, throwing a arm over Ernest's shoulders and pulling him close in a friendly manner. If Dylan is the insecure douche of the group, Jonathan is the over-confident douche.

"Yeah, Ernest doesn't count." Agrees Natalie, shaking her head and having the long red hair brush her shoulders. "He wouldn't know better."

"Ey! What's that supposed to mean?" He's sensing some implications in his friends's tone, and he looks between them in mild annoyance.

" _Noooothing_." An eyeroll. "Just, you know, since you've never kissed and all."

He's getting pissed now. "What do you know?" He shouldn't care so much what his asshole friends think, but he's getting quite defensive on this one for some reason.

Chad's hands rise calmingly. "Jeeze Ernest, chi-"

"So you have?"

"Fuck yeah I've kissed!"

The table falls silent. Ernest snorts at them and focuses back on his meal.

"What? Wait, with whom?"

 _Oh_. He rolls his eyes, looking away. "Does it matter?" He grumbles, trying to come out as bored and not unconfortable. Suddenly he doesn't want to be the center of this conversation anymore.

"Well, _yeah_? When did this happen? You never said anything!" Kate's arms move in the air. She always wants to know whatever is going on, but not in a gossipy way really, more like a mother nosing too much in her children's business.

"Chad, pal, you gotta tone it down a little..." And then there's Dylan.

"Hah!? It wasn't me!!"

"You don't know them, just leave it goddammit." Growls Ernest. It's not true but he doesn't care for sincerity at the moment. He'd much rather not get paired up with Chad, thank you very much.

"Them? So it wasn't a girl?"

"It was **no-one**."

Jonathan offers a toothy grin. "Ernest, man, you can't just drop a bomb like this on us and expect us to forget about it."

"Well FORGET ABOUT IT!"

**BANG**

Suddenly, all eyes are fixed on Ernest. He's stood from the chair and has his fists clenched on the table he just hit forcefully.

"Just- Just fuck off!"

His little act has gained him attention from the  nearest tables, and other students are staring at him curiously while his friends make a collective grimace. _Shit_. Ernest's lips press together tightly and he drops back down on the chair, ignoring everyone's gazes and forking his salad like he's trying to kill it.

Slowly the lively chatter settles back everywhere around them, and Ernest's friends share a look, asking silently if someone knows what the fuck is up with him today.

" _Fucking hell_ Ernest. I don't know what is it you got stuck up your ass this morning but do something about it, will you?" Natalie sneers. She doesn't speak much, and when she does, she doesn't fuck around.

Ernest doesn't bother answering. Eventually they restart talking among themselves, leaving him to his mood.

Ernest knows he's being an ass.

He's used to his friend's teasing, and while he's easy to get riled up if you know which buttons to press, he mostly deals with it no problem. In case of the kissing thing he would have just told them to go fuck themselves, with a smile on his face. But today's different. Even during class he's been antisocial and weird, not mean, but lost in his thoughts. And the topic they pulled on him hit the bull's eye.

He got kissed by Lucien. On Friday. It's Monday today.  True enough he'd been overthinking a lot on Friday night - but that cannot be helped, right? It was his first kiss ever, he is expected to be silly about it even if it was with - well, _Lucien_. After that he's done a good job not having it eat at him too much for the rest of the weekend, but then Monday has come and Lucien and him are classmates. Only Lucien hasn't come. Which isn't surprising, because his pale ass is sick half the time and skips class the other half.  Ernest skips a lot too, but he can't afford it so often when he happens to live at the teacher's house.

Still, it surprised Ernest. What has he been waiting for? Has he been expecting anything in the first place? _Whatever_. It hasn't even started, and Ernest is done playing this game already. What does he care? That kiss might as well have been Lucien's way to have him shut his whiny ass. Who knows what goes on in that weirdo's head.

And that's another thing. Ernest isn't sure if he's ready to face Lucien after being a crybaby the other day. Then again Lucien hugged him too, and immediately looked like he wanted to die because of it, so he guesses it's fair enough.

 

* * *

 

**Knock knock knock**

The heavy door knocker resounds through the house, and in Lucien's head. When after a moment he doesn't hear anything from downstairs - and in the Bloodmarch home the silence is so thick one could hear anything - he pauses the game to yell past his closed room. " **DAD, SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR**."

.... Still nothing. " **DAD** **?** "

**Knock knock knock.**

Lucien curses and gets on his feet. Such a silent home, and his father still manages to sneak out without him noticing. If he didn't know better, he'd consider Damien's vampirism quite seriously.  He walks down the steps with a yawn. Could it be that he went out and forgot to take the keys? Most probably. They rarely have visitors.

The teen opens the door to a grey, rainy day, but it's not his parent's figure waiting to meet him outside. Rather, he has to look down, because the other is kind of a midget.

Ernest.

For a moment he stands there like an idiot. Ernest hasn't visited here ever, and frankly it's the first time he's had someone hang at his house in years. The boy stares up at him from under his forever furrowed brows, and they rush to his mind; the thoughts he had successfully locked away for the time being. Friday evening. He wonders if that's why Ernest is here - because he certainly wouldn't be here to bring over some paper from Mr. Vega.

So does he think that day's event establishes them as friend-... ish? Or something? Is it supposed to be like that?

"What are you doing here?"

Ernest shrugs and looks aside. _Okay_. ...  Lucien leans against the doorframe, trying to look unimpressed.

"We are doing this now? Coming to each other's homes?"

"Are you gonna let me in or not?" It _is_  raining and Ernest is not in the mood for Lucien's bullshit right now, out here at the entrance.

The taller reckons that he can just as well be a dick with both of them in the house, and steps aside without a word.

Once he's inside Ernest pats his clothes - which aren't terribly soaked, the rain must have started very little ago - then glances around the poorly illuminated hall. It's big. It's _enormous_ , and dark, and the decoration is.... Unique. Because Lucien's not used to having people over he has to remember most houses aren't like this.

"Huh... This is..." Ernest starts, more than a little unsure, looking simply overwhelmed rather than creeped out or pleased. Even if the house's outside can give a bit of a warning it doesn't stop this place from being impressive nonetheless.

"You don't have to say anything." Lucien says, closing the door behind them.

"Alright..."

Ernest's gaze falls upon the stares then, and he begins to walk them without a second thought. "Your room's on the second floor, right?"

"Wha-" Lucien's jaw drops on it's own. " _Hey!_  don't just walk in as you please...!" But Ernest is already half way up and going, and Lucien brings two fingers to his temple with a suffering groan. This guy. The teen follows him back to the room reluctantly.

As it turns out, Lucien's room is, unlike the rest of the house, a pretty typical teen's room. There's punk goth posters, an unmade bed, a TV, a messy desk with color markers spread on it and an open wardrobe equally messy with dark colored clothes and accessories. Also a window with the blinds pulled almost all the way down, a game console under the TV and a toy guitar, from Guitar Hero. Ernest grins the moment he notices the platform, and the paused game on screen. "You play video games? Cool."

"Duh." Is Lucien's only answer. He realizes he's being an ass, but he can't do better at socializing, not when as an introvert he's having his room intruded out of the blue, and honestly he doesn't know how to handle Ernest right now. His mind is a mess. Ernest ignores his answer anyway, and sits down on the floor, taking one of the controllers.

"I've never played this one before. Can I give it a try?"

 _Oh, so he didn't come to talk after all?_  Lucien stares down at the other's brown, innocent eyes. This time, he is the one to look away. "Do whatever you want." He mumbles.

"Awesome."

And thus he presses continue, diving head on into the game, and Lucien is left there feeling like a stranger in his own home. In the end, he sighs and sits down on the bed, opposite to the screen and right behind Ernest. At least things aren't weird.

After a while of just laying back and watching, he finds out that it's pretty relaxing to see Ernest play. He's gotten the hang of the game way faster than Lucien did - and when does Ernest play videogames? does his father let him have a console, with how terrible his grades are? does Hugo even _know_  he owns a console? - the character advancing though that fantasy world, accumulating experience and gaining objects, interacting with NPCs and having the story develop through Ernest's skill; it has some sort of hypnotizing effect. It's almost like watching a movie.

From time to time Lucien's eyes shift from the TV to Ernest's back instead. His shoulders, spine arched forwards, the rapid movements of his fingers on the buttons. What even goes on inside his head...? He doesn't understand much of Ernest. But Ernest has issues, and so does he, although he's better at hiding it. Even if they aren't exactly a support to the other - hadn't been at least until Lucien did that stupid thing - knowing Ernest's more _human_ side makes him feel like less of a loser.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, being Ernest's friend. He doesn't know. His heart immediately shrinks from the idea of getting closer to the boy, and his lips twist nervously.

Lucien has issues.

"Your high scores on this suck." Ernest's voice interrupts his thoughts suddenly, without looking away from the game to speak to him. "How long have you had this for anyway?"

"I wasn't aiming for high scores." Lucien drawls. "I just played the story."

"What!?" He still refuses to turn around, biting on his tongue since he has apparently fallen in a trap inside the dungeon, hitting the controls like a machine gun. "That's such a waste of the game!"

The other simply shrugs, even though Ernest can't see it. "There's no point in it."

The game keeps getting noisier, looks like Ernest really got himself in some serious trouble. "Damn right.... There's...... ... A point. Ngh." It's hard keeping up a proper conversation when you are 15HP away from death. "With.... Better punctuation, you can - fuck... Unlock like...  Rewards... And... When you play again. There's all sort of.... Hmm... Secret tunnels and worlds you didn't.... Have time to... Ugh.... Explore before and. And stuff."

Lucien can only watch him struggle in amusement. In the end, he snorts with a hidden smirk. "You're such a nerd."

The virtual gods must favor Ernest. His avatar comes out victorious from the massacre as Ernest leads him to the exit with a triumphant smile. "Well, you kissed this nerd."

Everything stops.

For a second, there's no noise coming from the game, no breathing, and no hearts beating.

Violet eyes stare wide open at Ernest's back, his abruptly squared shoulders and his straightened posture, as though he's just noticed what he has said as well. He can't see Ernest's face. Then the moment passes and the sounds meet again his ears, his brain begins to function. _What the...?_ _Where did that even come from?_ He thought they weren't acknowledging that. What's Ernest's game?

"Why did you bring that up now?" It doesn't come out as uncaring as he wishes it had.

There's a pause. A brief, subtle pause, but it's there. "Dunno." The boy says, but the clipped tone doesn't match his apparently casual answer.

Lucien waits. And waits. The wheels in his head turning.

And then he does it.

"Did you come here to make out?"

 _Pheeew_....

There goes the proud avatar, returning to the village from his successful quest and immediately falling down a cliff like a complete idiot.

Ernest turns around at the speed of light, red in the face and scowling and out of control. "What the fuck!? No! I didn't-.... I- No!"

"Wow. Okay, just kidding." He wasn't. Maybe in the dim lightning and in Ernest's agitated state his pure-anxiety smile can pass as a mocking one. _Just turn back to the stupid game already, fuck._

Ernest does, not magically attending his mental plea but because he can't stand looking at Lucien in the face a second more.

That was awkward.

He doesn't know what the fuck is wrong with him. There's probably many things wrong with Ernest, or rather, Ernest is idiotic enough to blurt out something like that as if he can make it into a joke, only to die of embarrassment at his own stupidity. In any case that's Ernest's problem, but what is wrong with _his_ head? Lucien thinks he's got very little things to be proud of, most of them aren't even his, as in, something about his person, but he considers he's got a fairly good self control, and many barriers for protection. Yet he keeps fucking up when it comes to Ernest. First, the hug. Then the _motherfucking kiss_. And now this.

Whatever is going on, he has to get his shit together.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Be a cool guy.

 _Wrong road to go down._ Be a stone then. Be boring.

 _Good_.

The teen counts to ten before getting up from the bed. He settles down beside Ernest, and the other almost jumps at the sudden closeness, still far from being composed. "Just figured, since this game is mine and I was already playing before you showed up uninvited, might as well continue with it." He raises a brow. "Got a problem with that?"

It takes a second for his panicked face to break into an almost natural smile - almost. "No! Of course no, dude, here." Ernest reaches over and hands Lucien the second controller placed next to the TV. "Let's kill this thing."

Lucien gives a little smile of his own and takes it from him, making sure their fingers don't brush even remotely. He turns to the screen. "Okay, where are we?"

"Ah, you don't know this zone right? I unlocked it earlier, you have to go the ancient tree in central plaza first, and then...."

They continued playing for the next few hours.

When Damien gifted him the console a few birthdays ago, it came with two controllers as well. " _Not to worry, my son, if the day comes when it is your desire to involve a largest number of participants, I shall purchase further enablers for such purpose_." He told Lucien. His son did his best to hold in a sarcastic snort - as if he would ever have more _participants_ to _involve_ , the second controller was already unnecessary enough. Instead he smiled at Damien, as sincerely as he was capable of. " _Thanks, Dad._ "

But then he started playing with Ernest, and was having fun with it, more than he'd like to admit to himself. It lightened the mood enough for them to pretend they had forgotten about the whole kiss ordeal, although they didn't share a single touch all evening, and that was definitely on purpose. Still, the tension was gone.

Or so they thought.

Lucien accompanied Ernest to the exit. It's still raining - he notices at opening the door - harder than before, and he wonders if he should offer Ernest an umbrella. Then again, the Vega's place is just a house away and past the road into the cul-de-sac; with Ernest's hoodie he should be fine running.

"Uhm...."

The sound has his eyes focusing again on those brown ones. Ernest is standing on the doormat, shifting awkwardly. He looks like he has something he wants to say. Or something he wants to hear. .... Or _do_.

The taller's gaze travels down to Ernest's lips without his consent.

"That was fun." Ernest pushes on, improvising a not-so-convincing grin. "Your room's cool." ....He rubs at his mouth with the back of a hand and looks away. "So... See you in class. Or something."

It's that hand blocking the view that has Lucien realizing he's been staring openly for a while now, and he seeks Ernest's eyes again. The shorter has turned around and is ready to step away from the house.

"Ernest."

His voice is soft. Softer than he has ever heard it himself, entranced. And it surprises him as much as it surprises Ernest, who stops in his tracks and twists around to stare at him. Surprised. _Expectant_.

Lucien's lips part, but then something else catches his attention.

From the corner of his eyes he sees his father's car rolling into the driveway, the motor barely audible over the sound of the rain.

"... Never mind. See you in class."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess you weren't expecting to see this turned into a multific, right? Well neither was I. I just kept thinking about these two and ideas run into my head. I'm an impulsive shit so I might update really fast in a few days or take a long time between chapters (Sorry, motivation is troublesome orz).
> 
> Also, it says it'll be 8 chapters long but I'm not sure if it will be since I might add or cut things along the way. But yeah, something around 8.
> 
> Agh dammit, I wanted this to be a well-structured fic but Chapter 2 is already so much longer than Chapter 1 ;;
> 
> Anyway, hope you like it!

**Author's Note:**

> First fic I write for Dream Daddy. I enjoyed Hugo's and Damien's routes so much, and also fell in love with their little fucke- adorable children. I hope this didn't feel too OOC? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> Snickers did not pay me to write this *cough*


End file.
